Turkish warplanes backed by heavy artillery struck Kurdish guerrilla targets in northern Iraq overnight, the military said, a third consecutive night of raids.
The Turkish air strikes are the first against rebels in the mountains of northern Iraq in more than a year and mark a stark escalation of the 27-year-old conflict after the collapse of efforts to find a negotiated settlement.
The raids also follow an increase in attacks by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels in southeastern Turkey that have killed some 40 Turkish security personnel in just over a month.
Turkey's General Staff said fighter planes had hit 20 rebel targets in Qandil mountain, Sinath-Haftanin, Hakurk, and Gara in northern Iraq, adding the planes had returned safely.
Reuters
The Turkish air strikes are the first against rebels in the mountains of northern Iraq in more than a year and mark a stark escalation of the 27-year-old conflict after the collapse of efforts to find a negotiated settlement.
The raids also follow an increase in attacks by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels in southeastern Turkey that have killed some 40 Turkish security personnel in just over a month.
Turkey's General Staff said fighter planes had hit 20 rebel targets in Qandil mountain, Sinath-Haftanin, Hakurk, and Gara in northern Iraq, adding the planes had returned safely.
Reuters